Elaine Hall

The Miracle Project – a groundbreaking fully inclusive neurodiverse theater, film, social skills, and expressive arts program for individuals with autism and all abilities – is celebrating its 18th birthday in grand style with two, joyous, back-to-back, family-friendly matinees spotlighting a neurodiverse cast of Miracle Project performers ages 5 to 65 in an array of musical, sketch comedy, and improv performances, and more on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 2 pm and 4:30 pm, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ Lovelace Studio Theater.

Dr. Barry Prizant, clinical scholar, researcher, international consultant and best-selling author, will share his thoughts and research on the many misconceptions about autism and the experience of autistic people. This free Zoom webinar will take place on Wednesday, April 26 at 7 pm. 

Get a first look at photos and videos from Arts for Autism, an annual Broadway benefit held at the Gershwin Theater, with over $35,000 raised to expand access to the arts for those impacted by Autism. 

On June 20, 2022, Arts for Autism will return to the Gershwin Theatre – home of the blockbuster Wicked – for a one-night-only concert featuring a constellation of the biggest names on Broadway performing with the stars of tomorrow – student groups from across the nation.

Educational Travel Adventures and Believe NYC, organizations that educate and enrich the lives of young people through performance and travel opportunities, announced the return of Arts for Autism, IN PERSON, with a special appearance by Wicked composer, Stephen Schwartz .

 In connection with Autism Appreciation Month, still photographer Beth Dubber announces the launch of a photo series focused on neurodiversity in the entertainment industry to profile actors who are on the Spectrum and how it is making notable progress in the motion picture, television and streaming world. The photo series, “Hollywood On The Spectrum,” features both working actors as well as up and coming talent hoping to break into Hollywood. It is a photographic portrait series featuring actors and musicians who are on the Spectrum. This project delves deeper by including interviews of the actors who discuss challenges and successes within the Hollywood strata. The website is now live.

Join the performers of The Miracle Project on Saturday, October 23, 2021 for the premiere of this fully inclusive original musical film Journey to Namuh at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills or via live stream.

Normally presented at the Gershwin Theater on Broadway, Arts for Autism is going virtual this April as part of World Autism Month. On Monday, April 12th at 7:30pm, Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara will be lighting up the Arts for Autism Virtual 2021 show with her soaring voice once again.

HBO Max launched in May of 2020 and we've got a complete guide to all of the musicals, plays and theatre available on the newest streaming service.

The uplifting documentary short AUTISM: THE SEQUEL revisits the five young adults who were originally featured in the HBO's 2007 Emmy®-winning “Autism: The Musical,” a poignant, heartwarming film that followed the subjects as children as they wrote and performed their own musical. The looming question in everyone's mind at that time was, “what will happen to these kids when they grow up?” We find out in AUTISM: THE SEQUEL as the original subjects, now in their early 20s, navigate what independence means to them and the challenges and triumphs for adults on the autism spectrum.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and The Miracle Project present Identity: The Musical -an original story about a seemingly perfect world of the future in which everyone's 'identity' (ie. careers, marital status, etc.) is determined for them based on data from observations, social media, and online habits gathered during their first 21 years of life. Created by and starring actors with autism and of all abilities, this musicalimagines a world with zero-pollution, zero-crime, zero-poverty but also zero self-determination.

Actionplay presents the World Premiere of the neuro-inclusive musical, Welcome To My World. The musical was created by the participants in the company's AIMS (Action Improv Musical) program, a 25-week musical theatre devising workshop.

Theatrical licensor Broadway Licensing launches a new musical created for performers on the autism spectrum, Heroes Like Me, created by The Miracle Project, profiled in the two time Emmy Award-winning HBO film, "Autism: The Musical".

SONY Pictures Entertainment, ABC's The Good Doctor, Netflix's Atypical, and several filmmakers were honored for their contributions to autism awareness 'From Spectrum to Screen' by the Autism Society of America at the 2 nd Annual AutFest International Film Festival (April 28-29), held at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. AutFest screened over 16 feature films, shorts and television programs that promote autism awareness and/or are made by autistic filmmakers.

AutFest International Film Festival announced its official program selections for its second annual film festival celebrating autism awareness “From Spectrum to Screen.” Presented by The Autism Society, AutFest will screen over 16 feature films, short films and television programs that promote autism awareness and/or are made by autistic filmmakers. As previously announced, AutFest will also honor Netflix's hit show “Atypical” and ABC's “The Good Doctor” with Spotlight Awards for their special portrayal of lead characters who are on the autistic spectrum. The Visionary Award will be presented to SONY Pictures Entertainment's JEFF FROST, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, and Co-Presidents of Sony Pictures Television CHRIS PARNELL and JASON CLODFELTER. AutFest takes place Saturday, April 28 – Sunday, April 28, 2018 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, CA.

AutFest International Film Festival celebrates autism awareness with a screening of Power Rangers (2017), followed by a panel discussion, as part of their 2018 lineup. Power Rangers is the first super hero movie to include an autistic lead character, the Blue Power Ranger, as a positive, capable champion of good. Now in its second year, AutFest Film Festival celebrates World Autism Awareness month and is dedicated to promoting films and television programs that spotlight autism awareness and that have the power to enhance the lives of the autistic community.

Center Theatre Group will host two Community Conversations inspired by "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" on Friday, August 25 and Wednesday, September 6. Community Conversations are a series of panel discussions that are free and open to the public and feature local thought leaders in dialogue about the context, issues and ideas finding voice on our stages.

The inclusive music, theater and film programs of The Miracle Project have been officially named as evidence-based therapies for autism, according to the International Journal of Education and Social Science, meaning they are no longer just anecdotally helpful for children and adults with autism, but clinically helpful with anxiety, social skills and more, similar to the threshold met by other proven therapies such as behavior therapy, applied behavior analysis, social skills training or occupational therapy.

The inclusive music, theater and film programs of The Miracle Project have been officially named as evidence-based therapies for autism, according to the International Journal of Education and Social Science.

The Miracle Project, a renowned autism and arts nonprofit, will be welcomed by the United Nations to present and perform during the celebration of World Autism Awareness Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on March 31, 2017, culminating with a performance at 12:30pm. It will be the Miracle Project's record fourth time participating in this event within a decade.